Adjustable spout and cap device for the sealing and dropwise dispensing of fluids



Jan. 12, 1954 R w, MAHONEY 2,655,826

ADJUSTABLE SPOUT AND CAP DE E FOR THE SEALING AND DROPWISE DISPENS 0F FLUIDS Filed Sept. 13, 1949 INVENTOR. RICHHRD W. MHHONEY ii atented Jan. 12, 1954? ADJUSTABLEflSPOUT AND CA DEVICE" FOR.

THE? SEALING AND DRG'PWISE; DISPENS- ING 0F FLUIDS- Richard W." Mahoney, to-Merck & 00., rm,

tion of NewJ-ersey Elizabeth, N; J., assignor Rahway, N-.J'.,' a corpora- ApplicationSeptember 13, 1949, Serial No. 115,349

6 @laimsz- (Cl. 222-422) This invention relates to a device for controlling and regulating the dispensing of liquids and particularly to a device of the. class described having means for forming drops of liquid in the dispensing thereof and for regulating the rate of formation of such drops. More particularly, the invention relates to a fluid discharge spout and cap combination-wherein the cap includes drop forming means and means cooperating with the spout for selectively controlling and preventing the flow of fluid therefrom.

It is customary to distribute fluids including volatile materials such as lighter fluid, etherfor anesthesia and the like in containers having a fixed or detachable spout tip'for dispensing such liquids. These spout tips are normallyfashi'oned from a soft metal such as lead or a lead alloy and have a restricted aperture at the discharge end or rupturable means for forming a restricted aperture. They are also generally provided with a detachable cap forming means for-closing the discharge end of the spout to'prevent' unintended evaporation or spillage of liquid. In the use of these conventional dispensing spouts, particularly in the dispensing of volatile fluids, it is difficult to control the rate of discharge of the fluid'and it is virtually impossible to discharge'fluid at a uniform discharge rate. This is a serious disadvantage in the administration of volatile-liquid anesthetics such as ether.

like.

An object of my invention is to provide an iniproved spout tip and cap construction wherein the cap includes means for dispensing fluid in the form of individual drops and wherein the spout and cap together form means for regulating the rate of forming drops of fluid; a further objectof my invention being to provide a spout tip fashioned from resilient plastic material andhav' ing in the discharge end thereof an aperture adapted to be gradually restricted to a fully be more fully understood from a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawing wherein the various parts of my device It is also a serious inconvenience and something of a fire hazard in' the moreextensive use of spout tip containers of lighter fluid for filling cigarette lighters and the have been identified in each of the views by suitable reference characters and wherein Fig. 1 is an exploded view, partially in section; showing my improved spout tip and cap construction applied to one conventional type of container;

Fig; 1A is afragrnentary sectional view showing the assembled relationship of the container and'spout tip asshown'inFig; 1.

Fig. 2 is an. enlarged detailed View of the discharge end of my'spout tipand cap'showing the discharge aperture of the spout tip in thefully open position;

Fig. 3 is a view-similar to Fig. 2, showing the discharge aperture-of the spout tip in the fully closed position; and" Fig. 4 is a view'similar to-Figs. 2 and 3, showing the spout tip partially closed-and arranged in an operating position to" indicate the drop forming action of the reservoir and aperture in the cap;

In' the drawingI have shown in Fig. 1 an exploded View of one adaptation of 'my device wherein the spout tip I!) andcap II are employed inconjunction with a bottle l2 andcap I 3 having an aperture I4 for receiving the shank of the spout tip I9. Inthis adaptation of thedevice, the spout tip I0 is provided with a'double flanged mounting end wherein the flrst flange I5 is adapted to bear against" theinner surface of the cap I3 adjacent the aperture It-and the second flange it of the larger diameter is adapted to be-flexed into seating engagement between the inner surface I! of the-cap I3 and thelip N3 of the bottle l2 to provide a fluid-seal therebetween as indicated in Fig. 1A. In the drawing the bottle l2 and cap I3 have been shown: as having a threaded means for detachable engagement. It is to be understood, however, that any suitable detachable or permanent engagements between the cap I3 and bottle or container -I 2 can be provided.

It is tobzunderstood that the adaptation of my device shown in Fig; 1 is merely illustrative. of one-practical application of my improved spout tip and capconstruction. The spout tip can: be employed in conjunction with any source of fluid and not necessarily in conjunction with a bottle or other container. Thus, for example, the-spout tip and cap can beemployedin a fluid feed line in-the laboratory in place ofthe usual glass stopcock for control'of the rate of dispensing of fluids.

The details of my improved spout tip-andcap construction are-more clearly indicated by the enlarged showings in Figs; 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing. The spout tip I8 is of hollow or tubular and preferably tapered construction and is fashioned from a plastic material having suffioient body to be rigid and yet sufficient elasticity to permit flexure under applied pressure. Suitable plastic materials include: ethylene polymers, haloethylene polymers, vinyl polymers and copolymers, natural rubbers, synthetic rubbers, alkyd resins, polyesters, polyamides, styrene copolymers, cellulosics, silicones.

The dispensing end is of the spout tip is of frusto-conical contour having a more convergent taper than the main shank of the spout tip it and terminating in a closed end wall 28 which is provided with a V-shaped cut extending into the dispensing end I9 to provide a discharge opening H. The outer surface of the discharge end it is provided with means as indicated by the screw threads 22 for engaging cooperating means as indicated by the threads 23 on the cap H.

The cap H is provided with a generally cylindrical portion 25 having a knurled or roughened surface facilitating relative rotation between the cap and spout tip. Integral with the cylindrical portion the cap is also provided with a conically tapered portion 25 preferably terminating in a rounded discharge end or tip 26 having a re-v duced aperture 27 therein. Inwardly of the aperture 21 is a chamber of reservoir 28 registering therewith and having a considerably larger diameter. The reservoir 28 forms a means for retaining a quantity of fluid 29 for dispensing through the aperture 21 in the form of drops 30, as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawing. Adjacent the reservoir 23 the inner wall of the cap H is provided with a frusto-conical bearing surface 3! having a greater degree of taper than the frusto-conical discharge end l9 of the spout tip. In advancing the cap II on the spout tip I by relative rotation therebetween the end 23 of the spout tip engages the bearing surface 3| and by further advancing of the cap H the bearing surface 3i acts to constrict the end 20 of the spout tip so that the discharge opening 2i is gradually closed from the fully open position shown in Fig. 2 to the partially closed position shown in Fig. 4 and finally to the fully closed position shown in Fig. 3. The bearing surface 3i should preferably be of sufficient length to engage the discharge end I9 of the spout tip through the entire depth of the cut out forming the discharge opening 2! when in the fully closed position in order to ensure complete sealing of the spout tip.

It will be understood that in the adaptation of the device shown in Fig. l the container 12 can be held in one hand and the cap ll rotated by the fingers of that hand to regulate the size of the discharge opening 2| of the spout tip, thereby regulating the rate of feed of the liquid to the reservoir 23 and correspondingly regulating the rate of formation of drops 30 as shown in Fig. 4. It is of particular advantage in the dispensing of highly volatile liquids such as ether where the heat of the hand is normally sufficient to cause the liquid to spurt from the conventional discharge spouts in an uncontrollable stream. With my device the reservoir 28 serves to retard such a stream and permit the regulated dispensing of ether or other liquids in form of discrete drops. The rate of forming of the drops can be slowed down or speeded up by slight rotation of the cap I i on spout tip 10.

The cap I! can be fashioned of any hard ma- T4 1 terial such as metal or relatively non-elastic plastic material such as phenolics, amino resins; furan resins, silicones, alkyd resins, polyester resins, polyamides, acrylics, ethylene polymers, haloethylene polymers, hard rubbers, vinyl polymers, styrene polymers, cellulosics, casein and 1protein plastics, cold molded and inorganic plas- While in the drawing the discharge opening 2| of the spout tip has been shown as a single V-shaped out transversely of the end 2!! of the spout tip, it will be understood that this can also be considered as two cuts circumferentially spaced 180 apart. If desired, the device can be fashioned with three cuts spaced 120 apart or even with four cuts spaced with 90 apart. In each event the constricting action of the bearing surface 3| of the cap on the cut end of the spout tip H] will operate in a similar way to gradually compress the end of the spout tip in moving the cap from the fully open position shown in Fig. 2 to the fully closed position shown in Fig. 3.

These and other modifications of my device will occur to those skilled in the art and to the extent that such modifications are embraced by the appended claims, and it is to be understood that they are part of my invention.

I claim:

1. A fiuid dispenser comprising a tubular spout tip of resilient material and a cap member having a threaded engagement with said spout tip to provide longitudinal movement of the cap on said spout tip in the rotary movement thereof, said cap having a restricted fluid receiving chamber extending beyond the innermost point of longitudinal movement of said spout tip, the free end of said cap having a restricted discharge opening registering with said fluid receiving chamber, and cooperating means on said spout tip and on the inner surface of said cap between said chamber and the threaded portion of said cap for regulating the fiow of fluid from said spout tip to said chamber.

2. A fluid dispenser comprising a tubular spout tip of resilient material and a cap member having a threaded engagement with said spout tip to provide longitudinal movement of the cap on said spout tip in the rotary movement thereof, said cap having a restricted fluid receiving chamber extending beyond the innermost point of longitudinal movement of said spout tip, the free end of said cap having a restricted discharge opening registering with said fluid receiving chamber, cooperating means on said spout tip and on the inner surface of said cap between said chamber and the threaded portion of said cap for regulating the flow of fluid from said spout tip to said chamber, and said last-named means comprising a discharge opening in the end of said spout tip and a bearing surface within said cap registering with the end of said spout tip and adapted to flex the end of said spout tip and gradually close the discharge opening therein as the cap is advanced longitudinally over said spout tip.

3. A fluid dispenser comprising a tubular spout tip of resilient materal and a cap member having a threaded engagement with said spout tip to provide longitudinal movement of the cap on said spout tip in the rotary movement thereof, said cap having a restricted fluid receiving chamber extending beyond the innermost point of longitudinal movement of said spout tip, the free end of said cap having a restricted discharge opening registering with said fluid receiving chamber, the end of said spout tip being slotted to provide a discharge opening therein, means within said cap adjacent said chamber forming a tapered bearing surface adapted to engage the slotted end of said spout tip and to gradually flex the same from a fully open position to a fully closed position in the longitudinal movement of the cap on said spout tip.

4. In combination with a fluid dispensing spout having a fluid discharge opening formed by a plurality of circumferentially spaced resilient members adapted to be flexed in restricting and closing said discharge opening, a cap device having a threaded engagement with said spout, means within said cap device, beyond the end of said spout in the closed position thereof, forming a fluid reservoir therein, the free end of said cap having a restricted drop forming aperture registering with said reservoir, and bearing means within said cap device between the threaded portion thereof and said reservoir adapted to flex the spaced members on said spout in controlling the flow of fluid from said spout to said reservoir.

5. In combination with a fluid dispensing spout having a fluid discharge opening formed by a plurality or" circumferentially spaced resilient members adapted to be flexed in restricting and closing said discharge opening, a cap device having a threaded engagement with said spout, means within said cap device, beyond the end of said spout in the closed position thereof, forming a fluid reservoir therein, the free end of said cap having a restricted drop forming aperture registering with said reservoir, and bearing means Within said cap device between the threaded portion thereof and said reservoir adapted to flex the spaced members on said spout in controlling the flow of fluid from said spout to said reservoir, said bearing means being of irusto-conical con tour.

6. In combination with a fluid dispensing cap having a drop forming aperture at one end thereof, an internally threaded portion at the other end thereof, a fluid reservoir registering with said aperture, and a frusto-conical bearing surface extending from said reservoir to the threaded portion of said cap, a tapered tubular spout of pliable material having means at the larger end thereof for registering with a source of fluid and means adjacent the other end thereof providing threaded engagement with said cap, the portion of said end protruding beyond said last named means having a greater degree of taper than the remainder of said spout and terminating in a flat end wall portion, a plurality of circumferentially spaced V-shaped cuts traversing said flat end wall forming a discharge passage in said spout, and the portions of the spent end intermediate said cuts engaging the bearing surface of said cap for restricting and closing said discharge passage as the spout is advanced into said cap by the threaded engagement therewith.

RICHARD W. MAHONEY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,975,545 Homewood et a1 Oct. 2, 1934 2,188,802 Beckett Jan. 30, 1940 2,309,895 Griflith Feb. 2, 1943 

